


Finding Bae

by ml101



Series: Ocean of Stories [6]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Rumbelle Christmas in July
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-07-26 05:15:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7561846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ml101/pseuds/ml101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rumple’s son was taken by divers and if he had to, he would travel across the ocean just to save him. If he had to do it alone, so be it. But he wasn’t alone, a certain fish wanted to help. The problem was, she had short term memory loss.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a disclaimer, I’m saying their merfolk…but for the purposes of this story let’s just say that merfolk are about the same size as fished as well and they are sometimes kept as pets. Ok, carry on!

“Bae! Bae! Bae!”

Rumple swam as fast as he could but the boat was already out of site. They had taken his son. The humans had taken his son and who knows what experiments the humans planned to do to him.

“No, no, no….” Rumple swam downward to merfolk passing by. He shouted, “Has anyone seen a white boat?” But the merfolk ignored him, Rumple moved to another set of merpeople but no one would even take a glance at him. “Help! Please!”

“Look out!”

Rumple was swimming so fast that he didn’t see nor could dodge the other merfolk swimming directly at him.

They collided and Rumple was thrown hard to the sea floor. His head spinning as his heart calmed down from chasing the boat and seeing his son be taken away from him.

“No…” he moaned as the other fish, a mermaid, swam closer to him.

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t see you.” She said as she swam closer. “Sir? Are you ok?”

“He’s gone,” said Rumple as his head started to clear from bumping from the collision.

“There, there…” tried to reassure the mermaid.

“No he’s gone,” began Rumple, his voice hitching as panic soon won over him again.

“It’ll be ok,” offered the mermaid but Rumple caught her off.

“No...no...they took him away!” exclaimed Rumple as he swam in circle. “I have to find the boat.”

“A boat?” asked the mermaid. “Hey, I’ve seen a boat!”

“You have?!” asked Rumple swimming up to be right in front of her, hope widening his eyes.

“Uh-huh, it passed by not too long ago,” explained the mermaid.

“A white one?” asked Rumple as he began looking up at the surface again in the hopes of seeing the boat.

As his eyes settled back on the mermaid, she extended her hand, “Hi, I’m Belle.”

“Where? Which way?” under different circumstances, Rumple would have been delighted to be introduced to such a very beautiful mermaid but his son was missing and he needed to find the boat quickly.

“Oh, oooh, ooooh,” began the mermaid as she thought and turned to the other direction. “It went, umm, this way. It went this way, follow me!”

She took off and Rumple swan right after her, screaming, “Thank you! Thank you so much!”

“No problem,” the mermaid, Belle, replied back.

They swam in break speed but then something changed and Belle was suddenly swimming like she was just and having a nice swim in the ocean. Rumple turned to her puzzled and it grew to worry when Belle caught a glimpse of him swimming behind her and she stopped and began swimming in a straight line again.

That was until she looked back at him again and then made a sharp right at such a speed that Rumple almost lost her.

“Hey!” Rumple called as Belle swam in circles around a coral formation. “Wait!”

Belle swam ahead again and Rumple followed her but then Belle stopped and got into his face. “Will you quit it?”

“What?” asked Rumple, totally confused to what was going on.

“I’m trying to swim here,” said Belle, swimming circles around him. “What? Ocean ain’t big enough for you, something like that?”

“Huh?” asked Rumple, trying to follow their conversation with no luck.

“You gotta problem buddy?” asked Belle. “Do you? Do you? You want a piece of me?” She said each sentence swimming closer and closer to him but then swam back and pretended to punch open water. “Oooohhh, I’m scared now.”

“Wait a minute,” began Rumple but Belle cut him off.

“Stop following me, ok!” ordered Belle.

“What are you talking about?” asked Rumple, his voice rising. “You’re showing me which way the boat went.”

“A boat? Hey I’ve seen a boat. It passed by not too long ago.” began Belle, again. She said the exact same thing a few moments ago. “It, um went this way. It went this way!” She motioned with her hand to rumple. “Follow me!” She began to swim fast again but this time Rumple swam in front of her to block her way.

“Wait a minute. Wait a minute!” shouted Rumple, swimming towards her as Belle swam back, a little scared. “What is going on? You already told me which way the boat was going.”

“I did?” asked Belle, slightly feeling ashamed as she bowed her head. “Oh no...”

“If this is some kind of practical joke--” began Rumple

“No!” countered Belle. “I’m so sorry. See, I suffer from short term memory loss.” She explained as though it was a common occurrence in the entire ocean.

“Short term memory loss.” repeated Rumple. Clearly in disbelief...not because of Belle but because of the situation he was currently in. “I don’t believe this.” He began to swim away but Belle blocked his path.

“No it’s true. I forget things almost instantly.” explained Belle. “It runs in my family. I mean at least I think it does.” She stopped and turned towards the open ocean. “Hmm, where are they?” She was in deep thought until she looked back at Rumple and smiled. “Can I help you?”

Rumple sighed. So much for the help he thought he finally had gotten. “You’re wasting my time.” He began softly. “I have to find my son.”

“But I can help!” said Belle. “You just...I don’t know. Have to keep reminding me.”

“You just said you forget things almost instantly!” said Rumple, his temper getting the best of him as he began to swim away.

“Yeah but I care,” offered Belle with a frown. “At least you have someone who cares and wants to help.”

That made Rumple stop and turn back to her. He studied her sad and hopeful smile. Rumple thought of his predicament and it couldn’t hurt having another creature helping him out. He sighed and offered her a small smile. “My name’s Rumple.”

Belle smiled and swam closer to him. Rumple finding his smile brightening at her reaction. It couldn’t hurt to have another pair of eyes…

“Hello.”

Rumple froze as he turned to see a Great White Shark blocking their way, his smile showcasing the rows of sharp teeth he had.

“Well hi!” greeted Belle. No, having Belle couldn’t hurt at all...she could just get him eaten.


	2. Chapter 2

“Dad!”

Rumple was brought out of his thoughts by the sudden shout from his son. “What is Bae?”

Baelfire smiled as she turned to her friend Emma. “You were staring at Belle again.”

“No I wasn’t,” said Rumple as he turned to look at someplace else besides Belle talking to Bae and Emma’s teacher.

It had been a year already since their little adventure across the ocean. Rumple and Belle had managed to get to Bae and bring him back to the reef. Of course Rumple did not part ways with Belle and they had been grown close.

Belle had a small place by their home which Rumple insisted she get so they could be close to one another. Not that it meant anything, Rumple just wanted to keep an eye on her especially given her trouble with memory.

“And here I thought it was Belle who had short-term memory loss,” replied Emma as Rumple glared at the two of them.

“Oh just go to class before I decide to pull you out of school,” growled Rumple as Emma and Bae swam to Archie with a laugh. Belle smiled as they swam by and greeted her.

“What was that about?” asked Belle as she swam by Rumple’s side.

“Nothing,” replied Rumple as they made their way back to their home.

“I think I heard Bae say that you were staring at me.”

Rumple stopped and turned to her. “No...I mean...yes but...how in all the seas did you remember that?”

Belle smiled and swam to him, taking his hand. “I just remember things more when I’m with you.”

Rumple’s eyes widened and he made to reply when Belle leaned over and kissed him.

“Yup definitely remember better when I’m with you,” said Belle as she released his lips.

Rumple astonished expression soon broke out into a broad smile. “Well then maybe I should keep kissing you so you won’t forget me.”

“Then kiss me again, Rumple,” replied Belle as she wrapper her arms around his neck. “I think it’s working.”


End file.
